I should probably give this 5 stars, but thought it a little too strict, and slightly unrealistic by offering things like homeopathic spaying alternatives (WTF?). That said, it's been a great resource. The book includes a lot of information on pet health, not just diet, although Pitcairn is very big on feeding your pet the right diet to keep your pet healthy. It also includes a section of common health problems and holistic treatments.

We've switched our dog Cleo to a fresh foods diet - not all raw meat, but we do incorporate raw meat - and have seen an immediate improvement in her health. She doesn't sleep as much as she used to and she just has more bounce in her step and seems so much happier.

I don't follow Pitcairn's exact recipes, but used his advice as a guide (complemented with other sources), to get the balance of meat, grains/potatoes, veggies, etc., and now I cook up a batch of Cleo food every 4 or 5 days, and she gets that in the mornings along with raw food (usually a chicken thigh from Costco) at night. It's easy, and actually cheaper than her old dog food.

Dr. Pitcairn's book fails to recognize significant dietary and metabolic differences between cats and dogs. His home made diet section is an excellent example of this. Would not recommend.

This is a good resource. I appreciate that Pitcairn stresses that a proper, species appropriate diet is the foundation of good health throughout the animal's life. I don't agree with everything he says, but I think this is an important, thought-provoking book. Prior to reading the book, I had already been feeding a balanced, species-appropriate diet to my dogs, so the information was not ground-breaking to me. However, I will use this as a reference for other health issues and do recommend the book to others.

Great for pet owners! The biggest revelation for me was the part about modern commercial pet food, and how harmful it can actually be. Also, I found out how dangerous cortisone drugs are! And vets give our pets those drugs like it is ok! I am Determined to follow all guidelines in the book to make my kitty very healthy.

That I can take care of my pets like they should be taken care of. Now I can fix many of their problems without going to the vet. Now if only I could eat as healthy as they do...

A nice book, overall. It has some good tips for different ailments and I do like the recipes that they have for the dogs and cats. I could never afford to feed my pets a home cooked diet all the time but I like the recipes that are supplemental to dry kibble. I already tried the cottage cheese supplement (but without adding the powder that was recommended.) This may be a book I buy just to have on hand and I don't buy books that often.

Dr. Pitcairn is the original when it comes to holistic pet care--there is new nutrition research now that supports what he was writing in this original book. Sometimes he goes over the top (read: fear/guilt) but hey--take it for what it's worth. I figure if I wouldn't eat it, neither will Jake or Lillie :)